Today WSC is hosting a conference of Pacific Coast congregations of the RPCNA (Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America) on congregational revitalization. The conference is the culmination of a series of meetings and is by invitation only. Our own Julius Kim is the plenary speaker for the conference.

–Today David VanDrunen is the featured speaker at an OPC conference in Diamond Bar (in the LA metro) presented by Theophilus Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Diamond Bar, CA. His lecture title is “A Biblical Theology of Death.”

–There is a certain rhythm to academic life: New student orientation, convocation, Fall semester, Thanksgiving break, finals, term papers, Christmas break, January term, Spring Semester, spring break, finals, term papers, commencement. A new event has been has been added to this litany: a second new student orientation. It happens at the beginning of the second semester. Just as high school athletes seem increasingly to graduate early and enter college in time to participate in Spring football practice so we’re getting a growing number of new students who begin in January or February. In the past perhaps 4-5 new students would enter in the Spring but now it’s more like 20! This monday we’ll be meeting with those new students and welcoming them into the life and community of the seminary.

–At 10:00 AM on 19 February in the chapel, WSC will hold the inaugural ceremony for my colleague and friend, the Rev. Dr. David VanDrunen as he is formally installed as the Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics. The chair into which David is being installed is named for Bob Strimple, who taught systematic theology at WSC from its founding until his retirement a few years ago. Bob taught many of us on the faculty today and we owe him a great debt. I’m particularly thankful for the fact that he showed me how to open up God’s Word and simply teach it to God’s people. I recall being a little bewildered by trying to balance all the different disciplines we were being taught with the necessity of explaining clearly and concisely the teaching of Scripture. Just as when one learns any new set of skills it’s hard to know on what to focus. When I learned to drive I noticed at every thing. Now, I only pay attention consciously to the things that really matter (my cell phone, my iPod, my Garmin etc). Bob had done all the homework we were learning to do and having done so he opened up the Scriptures and “walked us” through them one passage at a time. He showed us how to pay attention to the things that really matter (no joking here), i.e. the text of Scripture and how to relate the teaching of this passage to that of other passages. He gave us confidence to teach the faith from Scripture.

Thus it’s exciting to see David carrying on the Strimple tradition. His inaugural address is entitled “The Two Kingdoms and the Ordo Salutis: Life Beyond Judgment and the Question of a Dual Ethic.” There is a reception afterward. If you’re on this end of the continent, and especially if you’re a WSC alumnus, it would be great to see you there.